Bishkek's Broadway
In early spring 2023, the idea of creating a pedestrian "Broadway" in Bishkek was announced as part of the presidential initiative "Zhasyl Muras."At that time, Ruslan Sharshenbay uulu, a deputy of the Bishkek city council, was overseeing this project. He emphasized that this is not just a pedestrian zone, but also infrastructure aimed at developing the area and supporting small businesses. It was planned to allocate 28 million soms from the budget for this project, but the final costs remain unknown.
In 2025, part of Aitmatov Avenue (from Masaliyev Street to Semetey Street) became pedestrian at night. However, local residents were dissatisfied with this change. They expressed frustration that after 10 PM, it was difficult for them to reach their homes by car, and they also complained about noise and litter (the updated part of the avenue still lacks trash bins).
Moreover, Bishkek faces a problem of insufficient parking spaces, which could exacerbate the situation.
Kyiv Street is particularly congested during peak hours, as it is one of the key transport arteries, and many people live in the area.
According to the new general plan, the section of Kyiv Street from the old Osh market to Jusup Abdrakhmanov Street is planned to be made pedestrian, as well as the launch of electric buses and trams.
In 2019, the city hall already attempted to implement a project to turn Kyiv Street into a pedestrian area from Manas Avenue to Ibraimov Street, but this initiative was not realized. Nevertheless, the residents of the capital hope that the city hall will take into account all the risks associated with creating a new pedestrian zone, relying on both international and local experience.
